Russia ready to cooperate with Arabs on Syria

Russia wants to continue cooperation with the Arab League to create conditions for dialogue between Syrians, said Monday the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov.

Russia wants to continue cooperation with the Arab League to create conditions for dialogue between Syrians, said Monday the head of Russian diplomacy Sergei Lavrov. "We sincerely hope to cooperate as closely with our Arab friends in order to create conditions for dialogue between Syrians, "Lavrov said after talks with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is visiting Moscow.

Lavrov said that Moscow "respected the decisions adopted by the Arab League," adding "I also know that our friends in the Arab world respect the position of Russia."

The Russian Minister has noted that the "consequences of current events in the region would not only affect the countries that are part of it, but also would affect the international geopolitical situation"

Meanwhile, the Syrian government has rejected the Arab proposal to send a UN peacekeeping force to the country. This is a "blatant interference in the internal affairs of the country and a violation of national sovereignty," a government official told the state news agency Sana. Russia made a ceasefire as a condition for a UN peacekeeping operation.

The government would continue to "assume it responsibilities and ensure the restoration of security and order", said the Syrian official. The Arab States had brought nothing new - "but their call for Syria's occupation by foreign troops," wrote the pro-government newspaper "Al-Watan".